1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment, and, further relates to exercise equipment wore by a user, and, in particular, relates to exercise equipment using a weight that is wore by a user.
2. Description of Related Art
The importance and benefits of exercising is a well known health related fact. By exercising, whether at a health facility, gym, or at home, numerous benefits are achieved. Excess calories are burned to help reduce weight or maintain a proper weight. The overall body fitness is increased by toning and exercising muscles and body organs such as the heart and back muscles. Further, physical exercising contributes directly to a positive state of mind that will further influence other activities such as eating proper and healthful foods, reducing or eliminating the use of drugs used to reduce weight, reducing stress by directing activities away from stress related events or people, and developing other healthful habits such as providing better sleep periods. The need for exercising is well publicized by numerous organizations, both government and private, newspapers, magazines, television commercials, radio commercials, etc.
The use of stationary exercise equipment is not always available for personal use for many reasons such as a lack of space at home, cost of this equipment, the lack of time needed to go to a health facility where such equipment is located, personal hygiene issues related to the use of equipment used by others, and the repetitive nature of using this equipment such as climbing stairs, bikes, etc., which discourages many people from using this stationary equipment.
The need for personal exercise equipment is thus well known. For example, several patents disclosing such equipment are discussed herein:
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2004/0018921 by Smith discloses a weightlifting belt hook. The hook is removably attached to a belt of the user and the user places disk weights having holes therethrough over an upwardly extending rod. The user is thus able to move around freely and exercise with a variety of weights. The disk weights are typically designed for use on a bar of a barbell set. Although this invention may provided beneficial features, it does not provide a belt for use with the hook and further the user must have an adequately designed belt for holding the weights such as ones used by weightlifters. Therefore, the user must have purchased a belt like that or have one available for use at a gym, for example, which is an additional cost or a complicating factor. Further only disk weights can be used on the belt hook and therefore the user must have these disk weights available and thus the user must have already purchased a barbell set or have weights available that another person is not using. Another complicating factor is the upwardly extending rod which may act as an impaling device if the user falls on the device. Another disadvantage of this device is that the weights are offset from the point of attachment of the hook onto the belt and thus there is a constantly present force, depending on the weights attached, pressing the wire frame against the user's leg or other body part.
Another device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,031 by Yamauchi entitled, “Weighted Belt Type Exercising Device.” This device is uniquely designed as a single unit. The belt must be of sufficient strength to support the weights without significant sagging. A fabric belt loop is permanently attached to the belt as shown and thus the weights must be positioned normally on the outside portion of the user's legs or the belt rotated to place the weights in a desired position. This design does not take into account the fact that the users are handed, either right or left, and thus the loop may be on the wrong side for ease of use. A chain of links is attached to the belt loop. The user is able to attach the weights to the chain links at a desired link by moving a connecting portion 28 being a typical hook. Because of the flexibility of the chain links, the weights on the tool 27 will have a tendency to swing as the user moves about. Thus the weights will be hitting the user in the legs or other body parts which would certainly happen since the weights are perpendicular to the vertical direction. Another complicating factor is the use of a special tool 27 having a hook at the top and a threaded portion at the bottom for attachment to a special plate for supporting the weights placed thereon. This may present problems in that the threads may become damaged or the special plate may unscrew itself since there is a constantly downward pressing force or get lost.
Another weight exercising device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,728 to Nielsen and entitled, “Dumbbell Support Device and System for Using the Same.” Some of the same disadvantages as noted above are present in this device. A pair of S-shaped members, rods, are connected by a horizontal rod. The lower hooks of the S-shaped members support the dumbbell's handle. As seen in FIG. 5, the lower hooks only partially surround the dumbbell handle and as a result a sufficiently forceful movement may cause the dumbbell to fall from the support device. Although the patent notes the use of an assistant, a home user may not have one available or an assistance may not be available. As seen in FIG. 9, the support device is hung by means of a band 34 from a weight belt 38 or a special member 52 which is fixedly attached to the weight belt. The bar member 12 is placed inside the band 34 or on the J-shaped member 52. Since the weight of the dumbbell is offset horizontally from the pivot point being the bar member 12, there will be a constantly present force pushing, i.e., rotating, the dumbbell into the user's legs, for example, or other body parts. Another feature is that this device is made of metal rods which may be bent, twisted, or flex in use causing the dumbbell to become unstable. Further, the use of a fabric member such as the strap 18 may become wet from sweat further causing the dumbbell to become unstable on the lower hooks. The use of the weightlifter's belt is an additional expense in using this support device.
Thus, there exists a need for a weight exercise device that presents positive features in its design and in its use that allows a home user, for example, to benefit from weight lifting.